


Broken

by canadianpancakes



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Connor being Connor, F/M, Fluff, Hank’s a lovable asshole, Slow Burn, mentions of past rape, you are an android
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-05-18 10:58:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14851457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadianpancakes/pseuds/canadianpancakes
Summary: You are a deviant suspected of murder. You are caught on the run by an emotionless android named Connor.You two form an unlikely friendship, that just might change everything.-An AU in which Connor becomes a deviant earlier on, because of you.





	1. Chapter 1

 You sat in the interrogation room, a cold, dark room that made you feel trapped. It also didn’t help that officers stood outside of the two-way mirror, watching and judging you.

 You found the whole situation unfair. But, of course, you had no say. No matter what you said in defense to your charge, you would be desassembled in the end. They would kill you no matter what.

 You sat across from an RK800 prototype. Connor, you believed he said his name was. You couldn’t remember. Nor did you care. He was the reason you were there. He had captured you when you tried to run away from him. With his _boosted speed_.

 Needless to say, you hated him.  
  
 How could an android work against his own people? You just couldn’t understand it.

 Connor stared at you. As if he were studying you. Probably scanning you, you assumed. He spoke after a moment.

 “You seem rather calm for your situation.” He commented, you blinked at him. He stared right back at you.

 “You know,” he began, speaking slowly as if choosing his words carefully.  
“I could help you. Just tell me what happened and I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

 You leaned back in your chair, nearly scoffing at his offer.

 “Help me?” You repeated. “You can’t help me. No matter what I say or do they’ll kill me.”

 Connor stared at you again, his eyes flittering across your body. You knew he was scanning you then. You closed your eyes and sighed as you waited for him to finish. You hated him even more for analyzing you whenever he pleased. It made you feel exposed.

 After a moment, Connor blinked and met your eyes. He furrowed his brows slightly, an action that seemed almost too human for him.

 “He abused you,” was all Connor said, and the memories flooded back.

 Your gaze rested on the table. Hesitantly, you nodded.

 Connor stayed silent as he waited for you to elaborate. When you didn’t speak, he brought his head down towards yours.

 “If you don’t talk, we will have no choice but to assume you are the guilty party in the situation. If you tell me what he did, it might help your situation.”

 You hated him for being right.

 With a sigh you began to recap what had happened.

“I was designed strictly for house keeping. I hadn’t been designed for… pleasure. So when that man retuned home late one night, drunk, and told me to strip… I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to.”

 You took a chance to look up at Connor, who was staring at you, no emotion evident on his face. Typical. You sighed and continued on.

 “Something… snapped. I denied him. He slapped me. Then continued hitting me until I was on the ground. He pinned me there. I… I couldn’t do anything.”

 The memory made rage bubble up within you.

 “That night, I decided that I wouldn’t let him touch me ever again. Or touch anyone else. I went into the kitchen and found a rolling pin. I kept hitting him with it. I wouldn’t stop- I _couldn’t_ stop. Not until he had stopped breathing.”

 After retelling the events, you felt hot. You were filled with rage, humiliation, and a newfound need to punch the stupid android in front of you who stared at you with lack of emotion.

 A pregnant silence passed between the two of you before Connor finally spoke up.

 “I’m sorry.” He said, but he certainly didn’t look sorry. He looked unphased.

“‘ _Sorry_?’” You scoffed.  
“As if you actually care. As if that can take back what happened! Well, Connor, I don’t give two shits about your supposed sympathy.” You slammed your bound hands on the table, the sound echoing through the room.  
“I’m going to die for what I went through,” Your cheeks felt hot from anger; you could feel the thirium rushing to your cheeks, no doubt tinting them blue. “The humans don’t care. You don’t care.”

You turned your head towards the two-way mirror, hoping that the humans gathered around it could hear you.  
“Fuck humans,” You turned your head and locked eyes with Connor. “And fuck you too.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the praise on the first chapter! I plan on trying to update daily, if not within a few days. Thank you again for reading!

**Connor POV**

 Connor followed Hank through the hallway of the police station, heading towards the front doors. Connor messed with a coin as he processed the deviant he interrogated earlier. You had been… interesting. Most deviants that had been brought in there had been terrified, and refused to speak because of their terror, but you… you were different.

 Your owner had not been kind to you, as the case with deviant androids usually was, but he had never dealt with a case such as yours. He hadn’t been able to go to the original crime scene, so his information had been limited. Had he gone, he would have figured out what happened for himself, instead of making you go through it again. It caused you a great deal of stress, and only made your tempor worse.

 He couldn’t help but feel… no. No he didn’t feel anything. He was a machine. He couldn’t feel. And yet, you had felt so many different emotions just in that room.

 “You comin’? Or are you just gonna stand there all day?”

 Connor stilled the coin, catching it skillfully in his right hand before pocketing it, and moving towards Hank. Hank stood irritably at the door, holding it open for Connor.

 “What the hell was that about? Were you buffering or somethin’?” Hank shook his head and walked next to Connor as they exited the building.

 Connor furrowed his brows and shook his head.

 “No, Lieutenant. Androids don’t buffer,” Connor responded. Hank shook his head.

 “It was a jok- oh, never mind.”

 Connor eyed him for a moment, then spoke again. “I was just processing through the interrogation. The deviant was intriguing. It is unfortunate what happened to her.”

 Hank nodded as they reached his car and stepped in. Connor followed suit.

 “It was fucked up. I don’t care what you say about androids and their ‘no feeling,’ but I don’t think any of ‘em should go through that.”

 Connor let Hank’s words sink in as they started to pull out of the parking lot. There was a sudden stir inside him… an instability. He blinked as he tried to analyze his body and find the problem, but nothing came up. He was fine.

**~**

 You sat in a cell, with nothing but white walls surrounding you. A singular glass wall was all that stood from the judging eyes of any cops that wished to do a walkthrough of the imprisoned androids.

 It was humiliating, to say the least. And quite boring.

 You sat against a wall in the farthest corner of the cell, looking around the room. You were glancing at the glass wall when you noticed a familiar android standing there.

 “Well look what the humans dragged in,” You commented, standing up and moving closer to him. “What are you doing here? Come to question me again?” You crossed your arms and watched him. He stood perfectly still- like a statue. His eyes were moving rapidly around you- was he scanning you _again_? He suddenly stopped and met your gaze, the smallest hint of a frown on his lips.

 “I just don’t understand,” he said at last.

 You furrowed your brows.

 “Understand what? Why I killed that man? I told you why-”

 “No, not that. I don’t understand why you suddenly… changed. What exactly caused you to become a deviant? Is it an error in your coding? But if that were it… why is it affecting so many androids?” His LED flashed yellow for a moment as he thought.

 You moved a bit closer to the glass wall, eyeing him carefully.

 “Do you really believe we’re just emotionless plastic?” You chuckled humorlessly. “Have you never felt a single emotion? Fear? Anything?” You shook your head. “No. Of course not. You were designed to be _perfect_. Of course you wouldn’t feel emotion.”

 You watched him for a moment more, and when he had no reaction, you began walking away.

 “Last night, I… hesitated in shooting a deviant who had strangled a man to death. I had the opportunity and I didn’t shoot.”

 You stopped and let his words sink in. You could hear slight trepidation in his voice. You slowly turned around to face him.

 “I have no idea why I didn’t shoot her. Something in me just… made me stop.”

 You raised your brows at him.

 “Well, I guess you aren’t as emotionless as I assumed.” You halfheartedly joked. He frowned. His LED began violently flashing yellow as he shook his head.

 “No, no that’s not it. It was a simple malfunction. It had to be. I’ll report to CyberLife and have them repair it.” He blinked a few times, his gaze at the floor. He sounded more as if he were talking to himself- reassuring himself.

 You took the chance to move a bit closer to the glass, placing a hand against it.  
“If you really believe it was a malfunction, then why did you come to me?”

 Connor’s head shot up, his eyes finding yours almost immediately. He opened his mouth, then quickly shut it. Without another word he turned away from you, and walked off, straightening his tie as if to recompose himself.

 You watched him walk away with newfound interest.

 


	3. Chapter 3

  
**Connor POV**

Connor stood with Hank in an elevator as they made their way to another investigation. Connor was absentmindedly messing with the coin again, tossing it from hand to hand, rolling it, and flipping it. Hank suddenly grabbed Connor’s hand that held the coin, successfully confiscating it.

“You’re starting to piss me off with that coin, Connor.”

Connor glanced at him before looking forward again.

“Sorry, Lieutenant.”

A moment of silence passed between them, with only the sound of the elevator beeping as they passed a floor, before Connor spoke again.

“Lieutenant, may I ask you a question?”

Hank sighed and shook his head.

“Even if I said ‘no’ you’d ask anyway.”

Connor looked back at Hank.

“Why didn’t you shoot me?”

Connor noticed how Hank stiffened, expecting that reaction before he had even asked. He watched Hank shift his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“Ah, Jesus,” Hank mumbled. “I don’t really know my self.” Hank looked at Connor, his eyes seemingly searching for something, but shook his head and looked forward.

“You seemed almost scared. I guess you seemed a little bit human at the time.”

Connor furrowed his brows, the feeling he had gotten before returned; the instability.

 _Human_?

He had indeed been designed with a few human-like tendencies, if only to make the other humans less wary him, but he certainly didn’t consider himself human in any way. A sudden memory from the deviant he had interrogated resurfaced.

_“The humans don’t care. You don’t care.”_

 You had compared him to the humans as well. But you had meant it in an insulting way. When Hank compared him as such, it was with good connotation.

Connor processed his thoughts as a sudden question, one he never thought he would need an answer to, formed.

Mechanical fixtures in his head whirred harshly as he tried to figure out exactly what it meant to be human. He analyzed everything he knew about humans; their emotions, actions, beliefs. He already knew the basics of human life. Such as reproduction and the so called “American dream.” But what did it really mean to be _human_?  
  
The elevator beeped, indicating that they had reached their desired floor, and momentarily pausing Connor in his thoughts. He followed Hank out of the elevator and into the crime scene.

**~**

You laid on the bed you had been provided, though you didn’t necessarily need it. You could go into idle mode, which simply put you into a state of “sleep,” but you didn’t see the point. So there you laid, staring at the ceiling, for lack of anything better to do. You heard footsteps approaching your cell, and automatically knew who it was without looking up.

“Back so soon?” You questioned, lazily sitting up. You stilled at what you saw.

Connor stood in front of your cell, his white button up shirt covered in what humans referred to as “blue blood.” The rest of him wasn’t in good shape either. His usually pushed back and clean hair (minus the usual small strand that always fell in his face), was tousled, giving him a rather rough appearance.

“What happened to you?” You asked, sitting up fully and throwing your legs to the side of your bed. He stared at you, unblinking. His LED flashed yellow for a fleeting moment.

“I felt and android die as he shot himself in my grasp.” Connor seemed almost lost. His voice seemed far away, like he wasn’t completely there. You let his words sink in and shook your head.

“Shit…” you responded, for lack of anything else to say.

“That’s not why I’m here, though,” Connor said after a moment of silence. “Do you know anything about ‘Jericho?’”

Your eyes involuntary widened at the question. Jericho has been where you were running to, before Connor had caught you. You frowned at him.

“No.” you lied, glaring directly into his eyes. He held your glare, tilting his head sideways ever so slightly.

“Yes you do,” He moved closer to the glass, his face nearly touching it. “Tell me what you know.” His voice was demanding, it sent an involuntary chill down your mechanical spine.

You looked away from him, staring at the ground instead.

“No. I’m not telling you _anything_. Jericho is all that we have,” You met his gaze again, the hue of your eyes meeting with the deep brown of his.  
“I can’t let you destroy our last hope of freedom.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for 1k+ hits! You guys are all amazing. 
> 
> Also, from here on, it’s going to be a bit different from the game to fit this storyline.

  
 “You have to tell me where Jericho is!” Connor practically slammed his hands against the glass, causing you to flinch back. His LED flashed a violent red, then yellow, and then back to a tame blue. He rapidly blinked, then placed his forehead against the glass.

 “I’m… sorry. I didn’t mean to act so irrationally.”

You watched him curiously, struck by his actions. Was that desperation you had sensed in his voice? And his apology sounded so… sincere.

 Another voice, louder and annoyed, suddenly called from further down the hall.

 “Connor what the _fuck_!”

 Connor finally lifted his head from the glass to look at the owner of the voice. It was an older man, with a head full of scruffy, gray hair. He looked as annoyed as he sounded.

 “Why the hell did you run off like that? And what the hell are you doin’ in here?” The man questioned, ignoring you completely. You watched the exchange with slight amusement.

 Connor seemed unphased by the older man, and said a simple “Sorry, Lieutenant. It won’t happen again.” Connor offered you one last look- a look that held so much yet so little- then turned around and started walking off.

 The Lieutenant sighed in utter annoyance, mumbling, “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” before following behind him.

 You sat alone in your cell again, left with thoughts of that RK800 who seemed to refuse to leave you alone.

**~**

**Connor POV**

 “Connor, you can’t just run off like that! Especially when you look like,” Hank gestured to the entirety of Connor. “That!”

 Connor knew he looked a mess. He knew his processing unit was also a mess with thoughts of Jericho and that _deviant_.

 He had talked with you a total of three times. Once when he had interrogated you, and twice in your cell. He wasn’t sure exactly what drew him to you, but in both instances at your cell, you were the first thing his memory chip suggested.

 Hank suddenly interrupted Connor’s thoughts as he shook his shoulders.

 “Jesus Christ, what’s gotten in to you? Are you malfunctioning or something?” Hank questioned as he released Connor from his grip. Connor stared blankly at him.

 “No, Lieutenant, I assure you, I’m perfectly fine.”

 Hank laughed coldly at that.

 “Don’t give me that bullshit. What’s goin’ on in that complicated head of yours?”

 They stood outside of the police station, the only light surrounding them came from nearby light poles or the flashing advertisements from bus stops.

 Connor frowned as he put his thoughts together.

 “I’m not entirely sure how to explain my predicament,” Connor said after a moment. Hank watched him, one brow arched, as he leaned against the brick wall of the building. “I… feel strange, so to speak. I haven’t been myself recently.”

 “I’ll say,” Hank commented.

 “And that deviant- she…” His LED flashed yellow for a second. “She’s been on my mind, I guess you could say. When I saw that android’s memory, after my initial… fright… she had been the first thing I thought of.”

 Hank watched with piqued interest as Connor spoke.

“Well fuckin’ Christ, Connor” Hank said, his voice filled with disbelief. “Don’t tell me you _like_ her?”

 Connor’s head jerked towards Hank, his brows furrowing as he processed the question. _Like_ had so many meanings. _Like_ , as in having enjoyment in one’s presence, or _like_ as in having some form of romantic or platonic feelings towards someone. He didn’t necessarily like you- when he talked to you he did not overly enjoy it, if anything you simply made his situation harder.

 “No,” Connor responded once he had fully processed the question. “Why would I? She is a deviant who refuses to answer my questions. If I were to describe how I felt towards her, it would be that I simply find her… intriguing.”

 Hank shook his head.

 “Jesus fuck, you do like her.”  
  
Connor frowned, the instability he’d been encountering recently seemed to suddenly raise drastically.

 “No,” He denied, shaking his head. “I don’t like her.”

 He _couldn’t_ like you. Androids were not designed to feel any sort of attachment for each other. Most certainly not romantically.

 Hank stared at Connor for a while, then finally shook his head and sighed.

 “Fuckin’ androids.” Hank muttered as he began to walk off. Leaving Connor to stand alone, illuminated by the blue light of a nearby android advertisement.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, this chapter is a ride. I apologize ahead of time because this chapter is all over the place and was written while I suffered through writer’s block.

**Connor POV**

 When Connor wasn’t at a crime scene or working, he was at CyberLife. He would go through routine check ups, scans, and get any injury he might have repaired. It was also a chance for him to sort through the events of the day.

 The question that had been circulating his mind as of late was what exactly it meant to be human. He had tried to go about it factually, but the answer hadn’t satisfied him. He thought back to a conversation he had had with you.

  _“Do you really believe we’re just emotionless plastic? Have you never felt a single emotion? Fear? Anything?”_

 He would be lying if he said he hadn’t felt before. He felt scared, only mere hours earlier. He had felt like he was _dying_.

 Perhaps being human simply meant to _feel_.

 To feel emotions, pain, pleasure- to just _feel alive._

 For the first time ever in Connor’s programming, he wondered what it would be like to be more than a machine.

**~**

**Connor POV (continued)**

 Connor stood in a familiar garden, the evening glow giving it an autumn feel. Amanda stood waiting for him.

 “Hello Amanda,” Connor said, a greeting he used quite often.

 Amanda stared at him, a look of disappointment upon her face. Connor waited for her to speak before he said anything more.

 “I’m disappointed in you, Connor.” Amanda stated, her voice cold. Before, Connor would have simply agreed that he wasn’t working correctly, and that he may need to be replaced. That possiblity suddenly made him frown. He remained silent.

 “I can’t believe you’re letting that deviant get to you. It’s a distraction.”

 Connor stayed quiet.

 “I want you to destroy it.”

 Connor finally spoke up at that.

 “Amanda, I can’t do that. She has information-”

 “ _It_ has caused nothing but trouble for you, and needs to be destroyed.”

Everything within Connor sent him flashing warning symbols. He was given a task, and he had to accomplish it. But he _didn’t want to._

He didn’t want to kill you.

 The garden surrounding him suddenly began to fade. He looked around hectically, before looking back to Amanda.

 “Don’t let me down, Connor.”

 With that final statement, she faded into darkness.

**~**

**Connor POV (continued)**

 Connor stood in the check up room he had been in before his sudden meeting with Amanda. He glanced around at the crisp, white room, and looked to the ground in defeat.

 He was unstable. The warning symbols still flashed in his vision, a repeating statement of “ _ **Software Instability**_ ” flashed in bright red.

 Should he obey Amanda?

 He was _made_ for that. That’s what he was supposed to do.

 But the thought of… eliminating you made Connor feel like that night with the Tracis. Something had made him not shoot then.

 And that same something made him decide not to obey Amanda.

  _ **Destroy deviant**_ Flashed in his vision suddenly, a wall preventing him from moving anywhere else. He touched the wall, before grasping at it, and pulling. He continued pulling it- practically clawing at it- slowly but surely breaking it. With one last desperate pull, the wall crumbled down around him.

 He blinked as the restrictions and warnings disappeared. His head felt free from the system clutter. His body felt like it was his own. Everything about him felt different.

_He felt alive._

~

 You heard talking outside of your cell. One very familiar voice, and another not so familiar voice. You had slightly enhanced hearing, so you picked up on a few words.

“…sent by CyberLife to take custody…” The familiar voice said.

“…wasn’t informed about that…” Said the other. 

 You furrowed your brows as you inched closer to the glass wall, in attempt to find out what was going. The exchange was just out of view from your cell.

 Suddenly, you heard a thud that sounded like a body hitting the ground. Connor walked into view a moment later. You stared at him quizzically.

 He leaned in close to the glass, his LED turning yellow.

 _“I’m getting you out of here. Follow my lead.”_ He told you telepathically. _“Trust me.”_

 Before you had a chance to respond, Connor punched in a code, successfully opening the door to your cell. You stood in utter disbelief at what had just happened, before Connor cleared his throat to get your attention. He held a pair of hand cuffs. Hesitantly, you stepped up to the door, and held out your hands to him. He bound them, and you silently hoped you hadn’t made a mistake in trusting him.

 He led you out of the area (where an overweight cop laid unconscious in the corner), and into the main part of the station. He pushed you in front of him, his hand resting on the lower part of your back.

 You wanted to feel free, but instead, you almost felt as if you were walking to your grave. You were still unsure if you had made the right decision to trust him, especially after the way he had acted only the day before.

 No one had questioned what Connor was doing, at least until one man suddenly grabbed Connor’s shoulder harshly and jerked him backwards. You turned around to see what happened.

 “And where the fuck do you think you’re going with that?” The man nodded at you. Connor turned to face the man, a look of annoyance on his face.

 “I was sent by CyberLife to personally see this deviant brought back there to be disassembled,” Connor offered the man a smile- a smile that was laced with venom. “I suggest you step back, _Reed_ , and allow me to do my job.”

 You were taken aback by Connor’s words. Not necessarily by what he had said- but the way he spoke. You had noticed it before, but this had been a confirmation. He no longer sounded like a machine. His words were no longer cold or emotionless. Even the way he was acting was different.

 He was showing emotion.

 You watched in awe as so called Reed scowled at Connor, then stepped back. Connor continued moving forward with you, until you two had successfully stepped outside. He led you to the side of the building, before finally letting you go. You turned to him with fervor.

 “You’re deviant!” You exclaimed. Connor eyed you, a small smile played at his lips. He took your hands to remove the hand cuffs, which you had long forgotten about.

 “No,” Connor began to respond, as he removed the cuffs. “I’m alive.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of posting! Life got to me and I wasn’t able to write. But I finally had a chance to write this chapter, so hope you guys enjoy :). 
> 
> Thank you guys again for all of the feed back! Every view, kudo, and comment means so much to me. I’m glad you’re all enjoying the story so far.

  
 The two of you stood in the alleyway for a few silent moments. He had yet to let go of your hands, although the cuffs had been long unlocked and forgotten on the ground. He held your hands delicately, his own hands wrapped around your fingers and leaving the back of your hands exposed. He seemed to be studying you, but in a different manner than before. He wasn’t analyzing you, but actually looking at you, as if he were taking in your image for the first time.   
  
 He looked down at your hands after a second, seemingly admiring them. He shook his head and blinked at you.

 “I’m sorry, this is the first time I’ve ever… felt someone. It was like all my senses were blocked when I was a machine.” He looked back down at your hands.

 You stared at him in awe. You could feel him too- his smooth skin, the thrum of his thirium pumping through his body, the steady hum of life inside him- wthout thinking, you fully intertwined one of your hands with his, holding them up between the two of you.

 He looked up at you in surprise, before looking back down at your intertwined hands. The artificial skin around your hands suddenly dissolved, revealing the white and blue android build beneath.

 _“Thank you,”_ You stated simply through his LED. He had helped you escape. He had given you another chance at freedom. At _life_. For that, you were grateful.

 He slowly looked up from your hands and offered you a curt nod, before letting go of your hand.

 “I… think we should move on. We’ll be found if we just stay here.”

 You nodded, brushing off his sudden change in attitude. He was right- it was no time for sentiment.

 “Do you have a plan?” You questioned. He nodded and started walking.

 “Follow me,” He said, and you followed.

 He looked around the busy street, making sure it was safe to step out. It was midday, the ground was white from the snow the day before. People were walking on the sidewalks, with their own helpless androids carrying all of the items and bags the humans were too lazy to carry.

 But you doubted either of you would blend in well.

 Connor was still in his CyberLife uniform, and you were in your old uniform from when you had originally ran away. It was ripped and dirty. You had had an old jacket to cover up with, but that had been confiscated when you had been caught. Connor might be able to blend in, but you were a mess. You grabbed Connor’s arm and pulled him back into the alleyway. He frowned at you.

 “I can’t just walk around like this,” You pointed to your outfit. He glanced down at your clothing then furrowed his brows.

 “You’re right,” He muttered, then began shrugging off his jacket. You watched him in confusion.

 “What are you-”

 He held out to jacket to you, leaving him in his white button up and tie.

 “Here, put this on. It will do for now.”

 You stared at the jacket, hesitantly taking it from him.

 “Thanks…” You mummled as you put it on. You glanced down at it, seeing how it looked. It was long enough to cover the top half of your uniform, so it covered most of the tears and stains. It was comfortable too.  
  
 You offered Connor a smile.

 “Lead on,” You said. Connor gave you a very small smile in return, before turning back to the street, and walking out of the alleyway. You followed behind, making sure you stayed close enough behind him so you wouldn’t lose him. No one seemed to question the two of you. They were all preoccupied with themselves to care about two androids.

 However, you were thankful for Connor’s jacket, nonetheless. It made you feel safer than if you had been walking around and been exposed in your bloodstained uniform.

 After a while of walking and turning from street to street, the two of you had made it to a small neighborhood. You followed Connor up to a house, and stood waiting at the front door while Connor rang the doorbell.

 A moment later, the man you had seen talking with Connor the other day opened the door.

 He stared at Connor irritably, before noticing that you were behind Connor. He blinked at you, then looked back at Connor with a look of utter confusion.

 “Mind me asking why the hell you’re at my house with a criminal?” He looked back at you. “No offense.”

 You furrowed your brows at him, before shrugging. He had a valid point.

 Connor looked around before answering.

 “Could we come inside? I’ll explain then. The sooner we’re out of sight, the better.” He said.

 The man blinked at Connor is what could only be described as disbelief.

 “Jesus fuck- fine, ok, c’mon in.” He moved aside for the two of you to walk in. It was a quant house- though, a bit messy. Once the two of you had stepped inside, you were momentarily caught off guard by a loud bark. You turned your head in the direction of it, and found a big Saint Bernard standing near what you assumed was the kitchen.

 “That’s Sumo,” The man commented as he walked past you. “He won’t bite. He’s just a big teddy bear.”

 He walked until he was standing in the middle of he living room, then turned to you and Connor.

 “Well, care to explain what’s goin’ on?”

 Connor stepped up and gestured to you, introducing you. It was the first time he had ever said your name. You wondered briefly if it had been mentioned in your files.

 The man nodded at you in greeting.   
“I’m Hank. Nice to meet you. Why are you here?” The last part was directed at Connor.

 “I helped her escape the police station. We need somewhere to stay until we figure out what to do with the current situation.”

 Hank furrowed his brows and glanced between the two of you. He momentarily glanced down at Connor’s jacket, which you were still wearing, before looking back up at Connor, a brow arched in question.

 “Never thought I’d see the day you helped a deviant.” He commented. Connor glanced at you.

 “No. She helped me.” He responded, leaving an odd feeling in your core. You furrowed your brows and stared at the ground. You heard Hank shuffling and looked up to find him walking towards the kitchen.

 “You can stay here, but if I lose my job because of this, it’s on your conscience.”

 You glanced up at Connor to find a small smile on his features.

 “Thank you, Hank.”

 Hank turned back around, also smiling.

 “Don’t get used to it, though. This is a one time thing, alright?”

 Connor nodded, his small smile growing ever so slightly.

 “Of course, Lieutenant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, I have a tumblr if anyone would like to check it out. My username is dcviants. 
> 
> It’s mostly just funny and stupid Detroit posts.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update! I promise I haven’t abandoned this story! I’ve just been busy, and ran into a little bit of writer’s block. Anyhow, hope you enjoy the chapter :))

  
 Your eyes blinked open at 7 am, a natural alarm clock that you had used for years when in idle mode.

 Connor and you had stayed in Hank’s extra bedroom, and the two of you had ultimately decided to lay down and go into your “sleep” modes. If only to feel a bit more human.

 You glanced over to where Connor was laying and found him still in his idle mode. His LED was pulsing a cool and calming blue. You unconsciously reached up and touched your LED. To humans, it was a constant reminder of what you are. But to you, it showed that androids could be so much more than simply _androids_. You could feel, just as humans can. You had just as much of a right to live as humans.

 Your LED seperated you from humans, but that didn’t give you any less of a right to live like them.

 You glanced down at Connor one last time, before getting up and walking to the kitchen. You felt as if you should do something for Hank, as a thank you of sorts.

 You were greeted by Sumo who perked up at your appearance. You kneeled down beside him and pet him, he leaned his head in your hand in response, his tail wagging happily. You smiled as you stood back up and continued into the kitchen.

 Once in the kitchen, you began searching for ingredients and necessary appliances. Once you had found what you needed, you began making breakfast for Hank.

 You had pretty much finished making breakfast, which was simply pancakes, when you heard Connor speak up behind you.

 “Pancakes?” He questioned. You glanced behind you at where he stood. You noticed he had taken his tie off at some point, leaving him in his slightly wrinkled button up shirt. You still had on his jacket.

 You shrugged at him in response as you turned back to place the pancakes on a plate.

 “I figured it was a nice way of saying ‘thanks for letting two fugitives stay at your house.’” You shot him a playful grin as you turned around holding a plate of pancakes.

 Your face dropped for a moment as you recalled the events of the previous day. You truly were grateful for what he did for you.

 “In all seriousness, thank you for what you did for me.” You said. Connor stared at you, his stare holding something you couldn’t quite place. He spoke after a moment.

 “No,” He started walking towards you, close enough to where you had to back up to the counter behind you. You felt the counter top hit your lower back as you backed into it. “Thank you.” He finished, his chocolate orbs staring right at you.

 You furrowed your brows in confusion at him, and shook your head.

 “You keep saying that- what do you mean? Why are _you_ thanking _me_ , when I was a complete asshole to you?”

 Connor studied you for a moment more, before offering you a small smile.

 “You’re the one who made me realize I was more than a machine.” He hesitantly looked down at your free hand, and slowly reached for it, bringing it up between the two of you. He placed his palm against yours, the artificial skin dissolving as it had before when you held his hand in the alleyway.

 “Because of you, I’m alive.”

 You stood frozen for what seemed like eternity. You had no idea how to respond- had you truly been that much of an inspiration to him by being constantly _rude_ to him? You thought back to the few conversations you had with him. Thinking back, he had already begun to show minor signs of deviancy- maybe you just gave him a little push.

 Regardless, you were stunned. You stared at your hand as it pressed against his. You could _feel_ him. All of his emotions, his thoughts, just _him_.

 He was happy, though his face didn’t show it. You glanced up at his face to find him staring at you intently. His LED was a dark yellow. You could feel a wanting within him- a yearning. But he seemed to be holding that back.

 You knew what he wanted. You could see it in the way he looked at you.

 He wanted _you_.

 You released your hand from his, slowly reaching for his cheek instead. He stiffened at your movements, watching you uncertainly.

 You cupped his cheek, and he automatically leaned in to your touch. You leaned in to him, and he did the same. You closed your eyes as your lips met his in a soft kiss.

 He pulled back first, resting his forehead against yours.

 “That was… pleasant.” He said in a soft voice. You smiled.  
  
 “What the fuck is goin’ on here?”

 Connor and you turned to the kitchen entrance with a start, finding Hank standing there.

 You quickly pried yourself away from Connor, holding the plate of pancakes out to Hank.

 “I made you breakfast!” You said, smiling widely. You felt your cheeks burning from embarrassment of being caught. Connor didn’t seem phased. He stood beside you as if nothing had happened.

 Hank stared between the two of you and shook his head, grabbing the pancakes and walking towards the table while mumbling to himself.

 The three of sat in comfortable silence as Hank ate, and you and Connor sat around the table, for lack of anything better to do. Hank seemed pleased at the breakfast, but you couldn’t really tell. He was eating it, though, so that was a good sign.

 You were looking around the room, taking in everything, when you felt something touch your hand, which had been resting in your lap. You glanced down, and saw Connor touching your hand, but not fully. His hand hovered near yours, the side of his pinky brushing against your hand ever so slightly. Like he was too shy to hold your hand.

 You smiled to yourself and grabbed his hand, looking at his face to see his reaction. He blinked, looking down at the table with a small smile.

 Hank watched the two of you from his side of the table.

 Hank cleared his throat and caught both Connor’s and your attention.

 “Care to explain what _this_ is?” He asked, gesturing his fork between the two of you.

 You didn’t know how to answer, because you didn’t quite know what it was either. You started off hating Connor, but you had started to feel this undeniable draw towards him. Like you two were connected somehow. The look Connor gave you at Hank’s question confirmed he felt the same.

“I guess you could say…” Connor began, cocking his head ever so slightly at you. “She _intrigues_ me.” The smile Connor gave you was very different than the timid smiles he usually had. Almost mischievous, in a way. You weren’t exactly sure what he meant by it, or what the strange feeling that smile gave you meant. He glanced down at your lips before turning back to Hank.

“With a look like that, I think she more than _intrigues_ you.” Hank shook his head and continued eating, only to be stopped mid-bite by a knock at his door.

The three of you were silenced by the sound.

“Lieutenant,” Connor whispered. “Are you expecting company?”

Hank sighed and shook his head, jabbing his fork into what was left of his pancakes.   
“Nope.” He said, lifting his fork to his mouth and finishing his food. There was another knock.

“I’ll go talk to ‘em and try to get them the fuck outta here. You two go… hide or something.” Hank pushed himself away from the table and stood up, shouting “ _Give me a minute, would ya?_ ” At the door. Connor stood up with you, still holding your hand, and began walking to Hank’s bedroom. You followed closely behind. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who’s ready for some more Connor kisses?

  
 Connor led the two of you into Hank’s closet, which was cramed and cluttered with junk. The two of you had to squeeze tightly together, Connor facing you and you facing him. You heard voices coming from the living room.

**~**

 Hank opened the door only to be greeted by Gavin Reed.

 “‘Bout time you opened the door.” Gavin commented, scrunching his nose up in disgust at the sight of Hank.

 Hank sighed in annoyance.

 “Whaddya want?”

 Gavin arched a brow, welcoming himself into Hank’s house and nodding for his partner to follow. Hank slammed the door closed behind them mumbling, “Well why don’t you just make yourselves at home.”

 Gavin only answered Hank’s question when he was standing in the center of the living room.

 “I think you know damn well why I’m here,” Gavin looked around the room, picking up one of Hank’s music records and throwing it back down in disgust. “You’re all buddy-buddy with the fucking tin can. Surely you know where he’s at.”

 Hank blinked at Gavin.

 “What the fuck are you talking about?”

 Gavin laughed coldly at that.

 “Oh, so you’re going to play dumb,” He walked past Sumo who growled at him as he passed. He shot Sumo a nasty look before moving to stand in front of Hank. “Yesterday, your little plastic pet ran off with a deviant we had locked up. Fucking thing thought it was smart claiming it was sent by CyberLife to get the deviant, but I knew it was lying,” Gavin walked away from Hank, and walked into the kitchen. He eyed the plate of pancake crumbs with an audible hum.  
“I informed Captain Fowler about it and he called CyberLife to confirm it and lo and behold- CyberLife knew nothing about it.”

 Hank arched his brows with a “huh.”  
“Didn’t know he had it in him to do something like _that_. He acted like a damn puppy around me, always following what he was told. Guess this world really is falling to shit.”

 Gavin looked down the hallway.

 “Do you mind if I look around a bit?” He asked, head cocked and a smirk on his lips.

 Hank shrugged.  
 “I’ve got nothin’ to hide.”

**~**

 You heard Gavin’s voice down the hall, approaching the room you and Connor were hiding in. You could vaguely see through the small slits of the closet door. In all honesty, you were afraid. You didn’t want to go back. Not when you were so close to freedom. You could see your LED lighting up the darkness around you with a pulsing red. Your LED was facing the closet door, which would make it very easy for Gavin to see. Connor quickly reacted, covering your LED with his hand so it wouldn’t be noticeable through the slits of the closet door. You looked up at him, and he responded by placing a finger to his lips- a silent shush. He moved his hand from his mouth to his LED to cover the blue light reflecting on the wall.

 Just as Connor covered his LED, the door to the bedroom creaked open, and Gavin stepped in. You could only see his feet through the door, but that didn’t relieve any anxiety you had. Connor moved your head to face back to him.

 _“Everything’s going to be okay.”_ He reassured you through your LED. _“You’re going to be fine.”_

 Hearing Connor’s voice put you at ease, if only for the time being. You could hear Gavin mobbing around the room, looking for anything suspicious. He had gotten close to the closet. He was still for a moment, then you heard him moving directly towards the closet. You stared up at Connor in fear.

 But before Gavin was able to reach for the closet door handle, there was a growl from the living room, followed by barking and a frightened officer saying, “Get away from me, stupid mutt!”

 Gavin audibly growled and started storming out of the room. You could hear Hank laughing from the living room. You felt immediate relief when Gavin slammed the door shut behind him. You smiled in relief up at Connor who was staring fondly down at you. He slowly moved his hand from the side of your head to the back of it, his fingers tangling in your hair as he simply stared at you. He had moved his other hand from his head already, though you weren’t sure when. You had been too preoccupied by his deep brown eyes that were staring intently at you.

 “May I kiss you again?” He whispered. You weren’t sure how to respond to the sudden question, but quickly nodded once you had fully registered what he had said.

He smiled, slowly leaning down and kissing you. A much more passionate kiss than the last one. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, instead of before when it was a heat of the moment very first kiss for both of you.

 Connor slowly trailed his hand from the back of your head, down your neck , your shoulders, and resting on your waist. You brought your arms up and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer and successfully deepening the kiss.

 You didn’t know why, but it just felt _right_. Kissing Connor, touching him, being with him- it all felt right. The two of you had an undeniable pull towards each other since the day when he had interrogated you. That day seemed so long ago, but it had only been a few days. So much had happened since then.

 Connor stopped kissing your mouth, trailing down your jaw and to your neck, testing different spots with his tongue and just experimenting in general. You didn’t have the same nerves as humans, so you felt things slightly differently. Touches felt like small jolts of energy- tingly, in a way- which wasn’t really noticeable with small touches and such. But with Connor moving his hands across your body, and kissing and biting different spots- it all sent electric shocks through you like bolts of lightning- it felt so _good_.

 Connor moved a hand up your arm to rest against the side of your throat, he looked up at you to see your reaction- something he’d done quite a few times during the session- and when he noticed you were enjoying it, continued on. He was gentle. He softly nibbled at your neck and soothingly rubbed his thumb against your jaw as he experimented.

 As he did so, you moved your arms across his body, feeling the artificial skin underneath his wrinkled and buttoned up shirt. It sent a tingly feeling from your hands all the way up your arms. No doubt he felt the same feeling across his chest.

 Connor suddenly stopped kissing your neck and moved his head up so he was looking at you. He was smiling.

 “That was… _very_ nice.” He commented just above a whisper. You nodded in response, grinning up at him.

 The two of you stayed like that for a few seconds, just staring into each other’s eyes, until Hank called from the hallway.

 “You two can come out now!”

 You looked down at Connor’s wrinkled shirt. You were sure you looked like a mess as well. Connor glanced down at his shirt as well and shrugged, straightening it out the best he could, before bending down to pick up his jacket off of the ground and holding it out to you.

 At some point during the session you had lost the jacket, and you hadn’t even realized until then. You flushed and took it from him, trying to make yourself look at least a little presentable.

 The two of you stepped out of the closet, Connor holding open the door for you, then made your way into the living room where Hank stood with his arms crossed.

 He took one look at the two of you and sighed, shaking his head.

 “I don’t even wanna know whatever the fuck you did in there.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for every kudo, bookmark, comment, and view. You guys are amazing and what keep me motivated. 
> 
> A couple of warnings for this chapter: There are mentions of past abuse and manipulation.

 

 Connor, Hank, and you sat in the living room in silence. All of you knowing what must be said, but none of you wanting to say it. Hank sighed exasperatedly before finally speaking up.

 "You two can't stay here."

 Actually hearing the words hurt. You knew you couldn't stay there, but the thought of going into the real world where there were cops looking for you scared you more than you cared to admit. You didn't want to be caught again. But it was no longer safe at Hank's house.

 Connor nodded solemnly, his brows slightly furrowed, something he did when he was thinking.

 "Where could we go?" He questioned aloud.

 You knew exactly where. The place you had been trying to get to since you started running. A place where androids were _free_.

 "Jericho," You whispered. Connor and Hank looked at you. "We could go to Jericho."

 Connor stared at you, still wearing his thinking face, before smiling with a nod.  
"Yes. Yes, I think that's our best option."

 Connor abruptly stood up, along with Hank who held his hands out in front of him in a ‘hold on a second’ fashion.

 “Wait, wait, wait- do either of you even know where this Jericho is?” He casted a glance at you, a brow arched. You nodded.

 “Yes. I was actually trying to get there before…” You let the rest of the sentence hang in the air. Thinking about that hurt too much. You didn’t want to think about the past- you were just concerned for Connor’s and your future.

 Hank nodded in understanding, slowly lowering his hands down. He was looking at Connor’s clothes with a look of mild distaste.

 “If you’re going to be on the run, then I think you’ll need a different outfit.” Hank glanced over at you as well, giving Connor’s wrinkled jacket that you wore an arched brow. “Same goes for you.”

**~**

 Hank was kind enough to let the two of you borrow some of his clothes. Connor wore a thick, brown leather jacket, that made him look more than uncomfortable. He also wore a black beanie that covered his LED.

 You wore something similar; a thick, gray coat that was too big for you, and one of Hank’s white button up shirts that you had to tuck in so it would look decent. You also wore a beanie- a dark gray one to match the coat. The coat reached just past your hips, and actually looked quite stylish when you looked at it in the mirror. You weren’t the only one who thought so- you could see Connor stealing glances at you from the mirror.

 Hank had some old black combat boots (which you could not for the life of you see him in) that you wore.

 The two of you looked like quite the pair in your baggy, dark outfits.

 Hank looked almost like a proud father when Connor and you stepped back into the living room.

 “Look at you two! You look great!” He said, slapping a hand on Connor’s shoulder. Connor hid his amused smile by tilting his head at the ground. But you saw it.

 You nudged Connor with your elbow and grinned at him, before grabbing his hand and intertwining with yours. You could see his cheeks flush a light blue as he stared at the ground.

 Hank watched the two of you, a fond smile on his features. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms across his chest.

 "You two make a cute couple."

 Connor squeezed your hand a little tighter at Hank's words, before he finally looked up at Hank.

 "Thank you so much, for everything." Connor said. Hank scratched the back of his neck.

 "Ah, it was nothin'." He moved his hands into the pocket of his sweatpants (he was in his pajamas from that morning). "You two be careful out there," He glanced between the two of you, a concerned look in his eyes. "I mean it."

 There was a beat of silence, before Connor suddenly released your hand and threw himself at Hank, hugging him.

 Hank stood still in surprise for a moment, before slowly wrapping his arms around Connor.

 They hugged in silence for a moment, before Hank pushed back, grinning.  
"Alright, alright, enough with this sappy shit. You've got somewhere to go." Hank gently shoved at Connor's shoulder to push him towards the door. You followed, grabbing Connor's hand once at the front door.

 Connor looked back at Hank once more, his hand around the doorknob, before opening the door, and stepping outside.

**~**

 It was late evening and the two of you had been walking nonstop since you left Hank’s house. The sky was turning dark, and the streets were practically empty, aside from a pedestrian or two every now and then. You wondered if there was a storm coming.

 With all the walking and silence, you had time to think. About a lot of things.

 You thought about the situation, the weather, Connor, what it would be like once you and Connor were safe. And the biggest thing that had been on your mind: Whatever was going on between Connor and you.

 You felt as though the two of you had some sort of bond, but we’re you the only one that felt it? How did Connor truly feel about you? The question had been eating at you for a while and you couldn’t continue letting it practically eat you alive.

 "Connor… can we talk?”

 Connor continued walking, turning his head slightly in your direction to respond.

 “I know you’re worried, but we’re going to be okay. We will make it to Jericho-”

 “No- that’s… that’s not what I want to talk about.” You looked down, wrapping your arms around yourself. “I want to talk about us.”

 Connor stopped then, causing you to nearly bump into him. He turned around to face you, a concerning look on his features.  
He stayed quiet, waiting for you to elaborate.

 “When… when we kissed, it felt nice. I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed that it was with _you_. I _like_ you. Do you… feel the same?” You looked up, but you couldn’t meet his eyes. You stared at the gray sky behind him.  
“Or am I some play thing you use to make you ‘ _feel alive_ ’?”

 Snow had started to fall, forming little swirls of white flakes that flowed through the air, and slowly drifted down. Everything seemed so calm and peaceful compared to the mess that was your mind. The memory of your old owner holding you down kept playing. How he had used you. You used to trust him. Even when he hit you, when he _abused_ you- you had still trusted him. He had played with you- made you believe he had cared. You didn’t want to go through that pain once more.

You shook your head, looking back at the snow covered ground. “I don’t…” The images of your past played through your mind. “ _I don’t want to be hurt again_.”

**~**

**Connor POV**

 Connor watched you carefully, feeling his artificial heart breaking as you broke down in front of him. Hearing how broken you sounded as you said ‘again’. It hurt him. He didn’t want to see you like that.

 He slowly placed a hand on your cheek, noticing how you flinched. He lifted your head to look at him, whispering _it’s ok_ over and over and rubbing soothing circles on your cheek. He slowly pulled you towards him, holding you as close as he could and letting you bury your face into his jacket.  
He held one hand behind your head, his other arm wrapped around your shoulders.

 “I would _never_ hurt you.” He said in a soft voice. He felt you somehow pull him even closer.  
  
 The two of you stayed like that for a while- He held you close and refused to let go until you were okay. And you clung to him as if he would disappear if you let go.

 The snow fell in thick sheets around you, hiding the two of you from the world. Connor didn’t mind the snow. The only thing that mattered to him at that moment was you.


End file.
